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Famous Joe's Pizza
7 Carmine Street
New York, NY 10014-4441
(212) 255-3946
So, Elephant Larry recently received the following Ask an Elephant regarding the
restaurant review of Joe's Pizza a few weeks back:
Hey Chris,
You were so blissed out that you missed the fact that Joe (yes, there is a Joe) has two locations, the second being two doors down Carmine Street.
Yours in mozzerella,
Harry
Harry's not crazy. He's talking about Famous Joe's Pizza located at 7 Carmine Street right down the street from Joe's Pizza on the corner. And though it's not mentioned in the review, these multiple Joe'ses are something I had noticed before.
Upon first seeing Joe's Pizza and the similarly-named Famous Joe's Pizza just next door, I instinctively deemed Famous Joe's to be the phony -- a second rate pizza joint attempting to ride the popularity of its elder counterpart. Just look at its name: Famous Joe's. Now, if something is really "famous," does it really need to tell you that it's famous? No. You already know that it's famous because, well, it's famous and that's what "famous" means: that people know about it. In fact, I was so sure that Famous Joe's was a fake, I never ever went there. Not even once.
But then Harry's Ask an Elephant came along and my whole world fell into shambles. Was I wrong? Had I been lying to myself this entire time? I decided to do some research. It involved picking up the phone and calling Alex. Here's a poorly remembered transcript of the conversation:
Alex: Hello?
Me: Hey, Alex. Are there two Joe's pizzas?
Alex: Yes.
Me: Are they the same Joe?
Alex: I dunno.
Alex was no help, so I hit the streets. I decided to go right to the source…
Upon entering Famous Joe's Pizza, I stopped at the doorway, suspiciously surveying the surroundings. It looks like a typical pizza place -- nothing special. Unlike the other Joe's this place actually had a couple of tables where you could sit. I remained more wary than impressed. Enough. I went up to the counter and ordered -- what else? -- one plain slice to go. The pizza man behind the counter looked at me, nodded mysteriously, and complied. I took the slice, maintaining eye-contact.
"Wait," I said.
The pizza man stopped.
"Is this the same Joe as…" I pointed down the street. "…that Joe?"
The pizza man nodded.
I leaned in and whispered. "Really?"
The pizza man paused a moment. Then he nodded again and took the next order.
Frustrated, I sat at a table and looked down at my slice. Sure, everything looked right -- definitely a good sauce-to-cheese ratio -- but I just couldn't be sure. There was something strange about that pizza man pausing like that. And this slice…it reeked of lies. Frustrated, I put my doubts aside for moment, took a big bite and…
…yeah it's the same Joe.
As I left, the pizza man smiled and waved goodbye. I grabbed a menu from the counter and looking down, found the hard proof I was after: "Famous Joe's Pizza, 233 Bleecker St & 7 Carmine St."
So there you have it. Harry's correct.
But this leaves us with an interesting question…which Joe's to choose? Tough one. I would say the main factor is location. Or more specifically, the direction from which you are walking. For instance, if you're coming from downtown, or along Bleecker, Joe's is technically closer. And if you're coming from the north? Famous Joe's is the place for you.
With this new turn of events, I have taken the time to update the previous review of Joe's Pizza, in hopes of making it more compatible for both separate-but-equal Joe pizzerias. Enjoy.
- Chris Principe
